Ticket Bastards

I'm working on a review of the second and third shows of Phish's reunion shows at Hampton Coliseum and yes, it's taken a while. I've been super busy with work, and honestly, I've just now been able to digest the amazing music I saw at Hampton. The review for Friday night is below. But right now, I want to rant for a second about getting tickets for the upcoming summer tour.

Now first off, I'm probably luckier than a lot of phans: I have tickets to Burgettstown, both nights at The Gorge, Darien Lake, Hartford, Merriweather and SPAC, and if our whole crew gets the tickets they need, I'll probably trade some of my extras for some of the other shows near me: at least Asheville, Camden and probably Jones Beach and Camden, too.

But, I'd rather have tickets for all the events I'd like to go to in hand, without the need to trade and barter and beg. And I've heard horror stories from both friends others on line about the trials and tribulations with TicketBastard. From many folks perspectives, as well as my own, the ticket procurement process for Phish Summer Tour 2009 definitely has left something to be desired. There must be a better way.

For the shows I was shut out of, I hit the "buy that shit now" buttons within 2-3 seconds of tickets becoming available. I was following the US Naval Observatory Master Clock Time, for crissakes!!! Not to mention that having seen the Grateful Dead almost 90 times and Phish almost 50 times, I've done the giant rock concert ticket buying frenzy a few times before. Definitely not a novice. And yet, I was shut out of every internet order I tried to make except for The Gorge. Red Rocks? Ha! Merriweather, my home venue, for which I preordered? No lottery! No regular ticket sale! No soup for you! If it wasn't for my buddy, I would have been shut out of a venue that's less than 30 minutes from my front door. He waited in line at our local ticket outlet and got two lawns.

I don't know what is the best way to ensure that more phans and less scalpers get tickets. But, there must be a better way. And before you say imprinted names on tickets, imagine the lines getting into a show if each ticket needed to be checked against a name. Or think of waiting in line while 15,000 hippies and freaks try to find their drivers licenses and credit cards? No thanks.

Wilson, King of Prussia, I lay this hate on *you*.


I saw you with a ticket stub in your hand!

Phish is Back! Oh Wow, What A Weekend.

-Lightning Bolt

Over the weekend of March 6th, 7th and 8th, I was lucky enough to attend Phish's return to performing after a nearly 5 year hiatus. If somehow you haven't heard these shows yet, I'm going give you a play by play of the action from the ground. The photos are mine, the videos are from youtube users. When possible, click on HD. It makes a big difference!

I've begun to digest what I saw at Hampton Colisuem and will try to do justice to a performance of epic proportions, that will live on forever in Phish lore.

In the months, weeks, and days leading up to the shows, the paramount question on my mind, and I'm sure every other phan, was how would they sound? And what would they play? And what would they open with?

Anticipation was high as we made our way into the venue and onto the floor of the general admission arena. I'd seen Phish's first show at Hampton in 1995 as well as Jerry Garcia Band in 1993, both stellar performances in their own right. The building is know for majik! The weekend would prove to be no different.

On this night, for the coronation of Phish 3.0, what would they choose to open with? Here one group of phans gives their recommendation of a song the boys could play:


-Lightning Bolt

I saw these phans again Sunday night when they would indeed get their wish!

At close to 8 o'clock, the lights dimmed and as the band took the stage the crowd went wild. The moment everyone was waiting for was upon us.

A slight hush came over the crowd until Trey began to play the opening notes of Fluffhead. The crowd cheered at a deafening level for several minutes, band members saying later that they could not hear themselves play at points. Audience members, myself included, screamed, hands raised, ecstatic not only at the song we were hearing, but the fact that we were there at all. Sheer joy and elation.

And amazement. A Fluffhead opener in 1993 would be a suprise. A statement that all involved that night were in for a ride. But, for the band to open with it at Hampton- the first notes played in almost 5 years- was ballsy. The audacity of hope in a new era of the Phish saga.



...and from the front row.


Hearing the first notes of Fluffhead ascend through the hallowed space of Hampton Coliseum was like a visit from a old friend, bringing with it a barrage of emotions. I hadn't seen this friend since a mini-tour in 1998 from Portland Meadows up to The Gorge. There was a lot of catching up to do!


Fluff your head! Yeah!!!

What next. Well Divided Sky. Just in case you weren't already completely blissed out from Fluffhead.



The jam toward the end of the song is just shear joy:



Song after song filled The Mothership. 16 in all in the first set. At one point, I was wondering if they were just going to play straight through, with no set break at all!

Can't this wait till I'm old? Can I live while I'm young!?!



Control for smilers can't be bought. The solar garlic starts to rot. Was it for this my life I sought?


One of the many amazing facets of this epic weekend was Chris Kuroda's lights. The entire weekend the light show was completely amazing. I saw almost 90 Grateful Dead shows and was always in awe of what Candice could do. The stuff that Chris was doing blew my mind. Check them out here during the ending jam of Stash. Yummy.


Fishman came from behind the drums to regale us in a vacuum solo. Ahhh Henrietta.

-Lightning Bolt

And Trey decided to accompany him on drums!

-Lightning Bolt

Trey slowed it down and played the beautiful Farmhouse.


Later on, a 10:30 minute David Bowie...



...and the band mercifully took a set break allowing us to collect our brains, socialize with friends and neighbors, or visit one or more of the many attractions of the hallways: bathrooms, beer, food and beverage, and merchandise!

Settled in a bit closer to the stage, we readied ourselves for what was sure to be an equally intense offering. Libations were shared all around and neighbor became friend.

Set two opened with a first.

Backwards Down the Main Line is a new song destined to end up on the new album Phish has in the works. Lotsa potential with this one. Title track?



Here's the jam in Taste. Tasty indeed!!


First Tube. Again, check out Chris Kuroda's light show!


You can feel good about Hood. We were all feeling good. Glad the boys were back on the road.


Come waste your time with me:


Okay. I'll see ya at Burgettsville, The Gorge, Darien Lake, Hartford, Merriweather, and SPAC!

The first notes of You Enjoy Myself rang out. Oops wrong key. They stop. Not like the last time we started a song over, Trey says. No, it most certainly is not like the last time they played. Phish 3.0 is on the market now. And if this trial run is a sign of things to come, 3.0 is a must buy. It is going to melt the minds of all who encounter this monstrous group of psychedelic sorcerers.



Really great shots of the trampolines in this one!:




I'm the man from the mountain. Yes, Trey, you certainly are.



Loving Cup, with it's opening line "I'm the man from the mountain, won't ya come on up" was a perfect end to a perfect evening of music. Our musical cups filled to overflowing, we spilled out into the night, awash in the joy of seeing the boys not only reunite, but completely drink in and ingest the possibility of the music and spit it out in all its psychedelic rock and roll glory.

Total time played: 3 hours and 41 minutes of music. What would tomorrow bring? Whatever it was, obviously it was going to be sick.

Coming next, I'll continue by posting about the Saturday night show. It took me a long time to get Back On The Train...

03-06-09 Hampton Coliseum
I: Fluffhead, The Divided Sky, Chalkdust Torture, Sample in a Jar, Stash, I Didn’t Know, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Farmhouse, NICU, Horn, Rift, Train Song, Water in the Sky, The Squirming Coil, David Bowie

II: Backwards Down The Number Line, Tweezer > Taste, Possum, Theme from the Bottom, First Tube, Harry Hood, Waste, You Enjoy Myself
E: Grind, Bouncing Around the Room, Loving Cup

Chocolate Kittehs

Best. canned. food. ever.

Amazing Music Friday

Acoustic version of Angel by Jimi Hendrix



Acoustic Hear My Train A-Coming by Jimi Hendrix

Photoblogging the Inauguration

Few words can describe what I just experienced.

I am once again proud to call myself an American.

A joy fills the streets of Washington, DC that I've never experienced. The joy, pride, and relief I felt yesterday, and folks I spoke with around town felt, was at an intensity level that was physically palpable, and is something that I'll remember forever.

Hope everyone enjoys these snapshots of history!


Walking down to the mall, hugs and smiles were shared.




It was very crowded. But, not at all unruly.


We were at the base of the Washington Monument.






Every few moments, spontaneous chants of Obama! Obama! Obama! spilled out across the mall.


Flags from around the world were being waved.


A hush came upon the 2 million people, as our now President Barack Hussein Obama, rose to take the oath of office.




We've reached the mountaintop.

You May Say I'm a Dreamer...

Twenty-eight years ago tonight, John Lennon was killed:

On the night of 8 December 1980 Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times (the fifth shot missed) in the entrance hallway of the Dakota. Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman earlier that same night.[184]

wikipedia

The world lost a true patriot. A peaceful warrior who spoke for and with not only a generation but the entire world. Everyday people. Great leaders and thinkers. The living and the dead. All we are saying is give peace a chance.



Imagine

My Clients Tell Me It's Going To Be Okay

We're going to make it out of this. Our economy will start to create jobs again. You will find a new job. Our lives might be different-possibly very different- but we will survive. How do I know? That's what my clients tell me.

I work at a food bank as Director of Food Collection. On December 1st, President George W. Bush, decider in chief, informed us our economy is in recession.

"Today's job data reflects the fact that our economy is in a recession," Bush said.

Jeez. I could have told you that months ago.

Since October 2007, we've had a 56% increase in the number of clients turning to us for emergency food assistance. Every food bank in the nation is seeing the crush

We service an area outside Washington, DC. The suburban county that we service spans the spectrum of sociopolitical strata. Some of the richest zip codes in the nation straddle part of the country. In other parts of the county, co-mingled humanity struggles to keep their homes and feed their kids.

The crush of clients can be overwhelming at times. Some have been coming for some time. They know the routine. Most are grateful, gracious, and courteous.

Then there are the folks that have never been to a food bank - or never been as a client. "This is my first time. What do I do? Where do I go? Thank you so much. Bless you." You smile say "you're welcome" and move on to the next thing that needs to be done.

The vast majority of our clients maintain a stoic, proud posture when they come. Some donors though are more visibly shaken. It's a look of hopelessness and desperation. "When will this thing turn around? What could we have done to stop it? Am I next? Are we next?"

It is a scary time in America and in the World. But, this can be an opportunity to make some real and lasting changes that can effect for the better not only our country but the entire world.

We are Americans. We will get through this. And we will be stronger for it. How do I know? My clients tell me.

Yes, we can.

Heading out to vote in a bit. Thought I'd post this video. An amazing day.



Fired up!! Ready to go!!!!

Obama Wins Dixville Notch, NH

Senator Barack Obama has won the vote in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, MSNBC has reported. The quaint town holds the honor of being the first voters in the nation to cast their ballots.

The tally came to 15 votes for Barack Obama and 6 votes for John McCain.

Historically, Dixville Notch has voted Republican. In 2004, the town voted 19 for George W. Bush and 7 for Kerry. In 2000, it was 21 for George W. Bush and 5 for Al Gore.

Is this year's margin a bad sign for John McCain? Well have to wait and see.

Oh, like for the homeless

A few weeks ago, I drove across the river to Arlington to join with 3 generations of my family for a get together.

My family is the typical DC area family: Some ex-military, some progressives. Some Democrats, some Republicans. We work in government, for NGO's, in the public and in the private sector.

In the course of the evening, I was speaking with my Uncle's ex-wife. When I mentioned that I was a director at a food bank, she said: "Oh, like for the homeless."

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON - Employers shed 159,000 jobs in September, the ninth consecutive month of job losses and a sign that the U.S. economic downturn continues, the government reported Friday.

The unemployment rate, however, remained unchanged at 6.1 percent, the Labor Department reported.

The dismal numbers gave urgency to a vote in the House of Representatives on Friday on a $700 billion economic-rescue package.

Analysts said the sharp increase in job losses raised the likelihood that the Federal Reserve Board would approve deeper interest-rate cuts in the months ahead to stir the economy.

"Oh, like for the homeless." Actually, like for the middle class.

I don't need to tell you that we are having an ecomomic meltdown in our country. But, I do want to relay what the situation is like on the ground, from a food bank.

We started experiencing a serious rise in the number of clients that access emergency food assistance last fall. Foodbanks and other social service agencies are the first to see a problem and the last to experience the solution.

What I mean by this is at the onset of a crisis, before economic indicators register a problem, we start to see an uptick in the number of clients in need of emergency services. When the crisis has run it's course, and long after it's out of the press and off the radar, only then does a sense of normalcy resume.

That is, if normal is seeing your neighbors in need of food to feed their children. In essence, we are the canary in the coal mine for the economy.

And that coal mine, in the shape of the U.S. economy, is toxic. Wages are stagnate. "In 2008, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food is projected to increase 5.0 to 6.0 percent," according to the economic research service at USDA. Unemployment nationwide rose from 5.7% to 6.1% in August. Locally, unemployment in Maryland rose to 4.4% in July.

"We're in a state of transition," said Richard P. Clinch, director of economic research at the University of Baltimore's Jacob France Institute. "We've avoided any significant harm from the national slowdown, but it seems to have come home at this point. ... Clearly the pain is beginning to filter its way into the Maryland economy."

At the food bank I work at we are experiencing a 45% increase in clients accessing emergency food. That's on top of a 50% increase over the prior 5 years. Every other food bank and help organization I've spoken to is reporting the same or worse. The numbers are staggering, stressing the systems to the breaking point.

The reason we have seen such a massive increase is this: More and more people are dropping out of the middle class. More and more people are choosing to pay for medication instead of food. People are living in their car, because they've lost their home. School systems have seen a noticeable increase in homeless students.

Folks, I write this for one reason: We need to elect Barack Obama President. We need to elect Barack Obama because our country and it's citizens cannot handle another Republican administration.

On taxes, Barack Obama's tax plan is sensible, McCain's is out of touch and dangerous for the economy:


In addition to cutting taxes for 95% of Americans, Barack Obama will invest in America, rather than give money to millionaires as John McCain will do.

Obama's plan (from Barack Obama.com):

Expand Access to Jobs

*Help Americans Grab a Hold of and Climb the Job Ladder: Obama and Biden will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.

John McCain's Plan is big on words but short on substance (from John McCain.com):

*John McCain believes we should send a strong message to world markets. Under his plan, the United States will be telling oil producing countries and oil speculators that our dependence on foreign oil will come to an end - and the impact will be lower prices at the pump.

*John McCain's policies will increase the value of the dollar and thus reduce the price of oil. In recent years, the declining value of the dollar has added to the cost of imported oil. This will change. Americans will have a stronger economy, a stronger dollar and greater purchasing power for oil, gas and food.

Strong messaging. In other words, talk. That's all John McCain has. Talk. The economy is falling into a full blown depression and all John McCain has is a strong message.

There are people in the United States of America who's life literally depends on Barack Obama being elected President.

This is why it is so important we elect Senator Barack Obama.

Cross posted at Dailykos.com